Old cases new flames
by BlackRaven
Summary: A body in an ally leads the team to a murder of anf entire family over night and some new self revelations. Will the team be able to stop the killer before he hits again - and this time maybe a little closer to home? NEW CHAPTER ADDED!!!
1. Default Chapter

I don't own them I don't know them. This is my first CSI fanfic so please tell me what you think. I love reviews! I live for them!  
  
Enjoy 


	2. Dead guy in the ally

"So what have we got here?" Grissom asked Brass as he came up down the ally.  
  
"Male, in his twenties, a jogger found him and called it in, the ID says his name is Billy Meadows, we found his car just at the end of the ally, unlocked."  
  
Gil nodded, his eyes taking in the scene in front of him as Warrick joined him and stood next to him waiting for instructions. They walked over to the body together. Grissom kneeled and flashed his flashlight at the corpse.  
  
"What have you got for us David?" He asked the young coroner who was studying the body  
  
"Double gunshot to the chest and the head" David replied "He's been dead for no more then 4 hours. I'll be able to tell you more after the autopsy"  
  
Grissom nodded and David left them alone letting them collect their evidence.  
  
"Hello!" Warrick said to no one in particular as he lifted something up with his tweezers  
  
"What have you got there?"  
  
"Two hairs, not identical. You think one of them might be our killer?" Warrick asked as he bagged the evidence  
  
"Send it to the lab and we'll see" Grissom nodded  
  
"This doesn't add up" Warrick said looking around him on the scene "there should be much more blood here"  
  
"Which means our victim was murdered somewhere else" Grissom said somberly  
  
** Smash cut to Billy Meadows apartment  
  
Nick, Catherine and Warrick stood at the doorway and looked at the large blood stain on the living room carpet  
  
"I guess we found our murder scene" Catherine mumbled  
  
The three of them started carefully going over the evidence. Catherine kneeled next to the blood stain and started talking pictures as the two others moved into the bedroom and started working in silence.  
  
"Hey" Nick suddenly called out to Warrick "Check this out" He handed over a framed picture of a young woman. "What do you think? Family?"  
  
"Definitely girlfriend" Warrick replied  
  
"how can you tell" Nick smirked, his competitive instincts kicking in  
  
"Single guys keep family pictures in the living room. Something about having a picture of your mother staring at you when your in bed with a girl. this one's a girlfriend. She looks kind of familiar, don't know from where"  
  
Nick studied the picture for another minute "Lucky guy" he mumbled and Warrick nodded his approval "I'll go talk to the apartment manager, maybe get a name"  
  
He walked over to the door where the nervous manager was standing, his eyes glued to the big blood stain in the middle of the room  
  
"How well did you know Mr. Meadows?" Nick asked him slightly startling him.  
  
"Ho, pretty well, I live right next door. He was a good tenant, rent always on time, sometimes he played his music a little too loud but nothing more than that."  
  
"This girl?" Nick continued, showing the man the framed picture  
  
"That's Jessie, his girlfriend, ex-girlfriend actually, they broke up about a moth ago" "and how did Mr. Meadows take it?" Nick persisted  
  
"Ok I guess, a little depressed, but he was happy this last week, he told me they might be getting back together"  
  
** Smash cut to the lab  
  
"Greg, what have you got on that blood sample?" Warrick asked as he walked through the glass doors  
  
"The blood found in the apartment is definitely the victims, no signs of drugs or anything."  
  
"What about the hairs I gave you?"  
  
"Well one was the victim's complete DNA match, the other one is a whole other story. Not the victim's, definitely male, and drum roll please." Greg made a dramatic pause until Warrick gave him a threatening look. "He has dandruffs and uses hair dye"  
  
"I just love it when they're dumb enough to leave their DNA" Warrick smiled just as Catherine popped her head in the doorway.  
  
"Hey, found the girlfriend, wanna tag along?"  
  
"see you later Greg!" Warrick said over his shoulder as he followed Catherine out the door. Greg only nodded and placed his headphones back on his head, going back to his work.  
  
** Police station investigation room  
  
Warrick took a careful look at the young woman as he entered the room. He noted that she was even more beautiful than in the picture. Long dark hair, clear blue eyes, casual clothe, hardly any make up but she still looked stunning.  
  
"Good morning Miss Parker" Catherine greeted her and her voice shook Warrick out of his staring.  
  
"Hey, I heard you were looking for me. I came as soon as I got off work" The girl replied.  
  
"Where do you work Miss Parker?" Warrick asked even though that information was probably already in the file the police handed him.  
  
"I'm a Bartender at the MGM. And please, call me Jessie"  
  
"Ok Jessie, we found Billy Meadows body in an ally today, we understand that the two of you used to date?" Catherine went straight to the point  
  
"Yeah, the cops told me" the girl replied quietly  
  
"You don't seem too broken up about it" Warrick stated his eyes narrowing on her  
  
"He wasn't my boyfriend. We were together a couple of times but nothing more than that."  
  
"By were together you mean!?." Catherine's sentence trailed off  
  
"We slept together a few times, he was a nice guy, we had a nice time, we broke it off on good terms. I'm sad that he died but we weren't really that close"  
  
Catherine pulled out the picture they found in the victim's apartment "If the two of you weren't that serious, why would Billy keep your picture in his bedroom"  
  
Jessie lifted the picture to get a better look. For a single second Warrick thought he saw something pass through Jessie's eyes, maybe fear, maybe recognition, but it went away quickly and she composed herself once again before she answered "I've never seen it before, I have no idea"  
  
"Do you know anybody who might want to kill Billy?" Warrick asked  
  
"Like I told you, he was a nice guy, sweet, quiet, didn't really bother anyone. I never knew anyone who didn't like him"  
  
* Catherine and Warrick stepped out of the interrogation room and started walking down the hall.  
  
"You think she's telling the truth?" Warrick inquired  
  
"No. and yes" Catherine replied shaking her head "I don't know, something doesn't feel right."  
  
Warrick nodded his agreement his mind flashed back to the look that flashed the woman's eyes when she saw the photo  
  
"Well, at least now we have her finger prints" Catherine declared waving the envelope that contained the picture "We can run them against the one's we found in the crime scene and see if we get a match"  
  
"Sneaky!" Warrick smiled in approval and Catherine smiled even broader  
  
"I thought you'd like that!" she said playfully and they both headed back to the lab 


	3. Meet the Crawfords

Smash cut to the lab  
  
"Hey Sarah? You in here?" Nick called out as he came into the garage  
  
"Down here!" came the reply and nick bent down to see Sarah lying under the car.  
  
"What have you got?"  
  
"Well there's some kind of dirt in the tiers. The way from the victim's place to the dumping scene is all concrete"  
  
"So you're thinking our killer must have taken a de-tour?" nick completed the sentence for her and helped her back to her feet "nice thinking"  
  
"Thanks. You got anything on the murder weapon?"  
  
" 9 mm, one of the bullets was still in the victim, we find a murder weapon we can get a match" Nick replied. The two of them started walking together, headed to the main area "There's not much to go on in this case, makes me think this guy knows what he's doing"  
  
"you got that feeling too?" Sarah asked him just as they walked in the kitchen where Grissom and Warrick were already sitting  
  
"What feeling?" Grissom asked lifting his head from the file he was reading  
  
"Like our guy here knows what he's doing. Maybe he's done it before" Nick replied as he poured himself a cup of coffee.  
  
"I'll make some calls see if I can find anything similar" Barss's voice came from the doorway "Mean while I got your first suspect. The girlfriend, she tried to skip town. Highway patrol picked her up and brought her back."  
  
"Did she say anything?" Warrick asked, fully intrigued, but Brass simply shook his head.  
  
"She's not talking at all, hasn't said a word since we picked her up"  
  
"I bet I can tell you why she ran" Catherine's voice came from behind him and all eye turned to her as she walked into the room "I ran the prints we got off the picture and I ran her social security number from her file, Jessica Parker is a 55 year old woman living in Texas."  
  
"She looks good for 55" Nick quipped and received a jab in the ribs from Sarah  
  
"She isn't" Catherine continued "Her prints came back, her real name is Jessie Crawford."  
  
"Shit! I knew she looked familiar" Brass exclaimed  
  
"you want to tell us something Brass?" Grissom inquired  
  
"don't tell me you don't remember!? 8 years ago, Senator James Crawford from Texas and his whole family were butchered in their house in the middle of the night, it was a huge case, mother, father two kids all killed with multiple gunshots and multiple stab wounds the killer was never found."  
  
"Exactly" Catherine continued reading off the file in her hand "there was one survivor, 16 year old daughter, hid in the cupboard under the bathroom sink, stayed there for 14 hours until the police came, she was the oldest daughter, Jessica"  
  
"No wonder she wasn't too keen on giving the police details, poor thing must have had enough of cops to last her a life time" Nick said quietly. Sarah looked at him sideways and couldn't help but smile just a little. Nick was a macho man down to the last fiber of his being, but every now and then cases would just get to him. It was at times like these that you saw that he was really just a big softy.  
  
The room remained silent for a few more seconds while everyone tried to digest the new information, finally Grissom's voice came in quietly but decisively  
  
"Brass, I need to talk to her. Warrick you come with me. Sarah I want you to keep running this case as if you've never heard what was just said here. We can't know for sure that these two cases have anything in common. Catherine I want you to find me anything that you can on the Crawford case"  
  
"What about me?" Nick asked  
  
"You" Grissom said as he got up and grabbed his jacket "I need you to find me someone who's been in Billy Meadows bedroom, recently!" 


	4. Survivor

Smash cut to police station interrogation room  
  
Grissom and Warrick walked silently into the room. Warrick couldn't help but notice the total change in Jessie's appearance. She was curled up in a chair, her knees pulled up to her chest, she wore the same clothes but her face was the thing that changed the most. All the confidence left her face, the smile and the brightness were gone, she looked more and more like a frightened child than the beautiful young woman he mat earlier today.  
  
"Jessie?" He said carefully as he sat down next to her "Do you remember me?"  
  
She nodded and uncurled herself, regaining some of her former composure "Warrick Brown right?"  
  
"Right, this is Gil Grissom" He indicated at Grissom who took a seat in front of them "we'd like to ask you some questions"  
  
She nodded again and Grissom leaned in closer to her "Jessie would you like to take a walk? Get some fresh air?"  
  
She lifted her head slightly and looked at him quizzically, then smiled "Yeah, I'd like that"  
  
** Outside the police station  
  
Warrick And Grissom paced slowly with Jessie between them, a uniformed cop walked a few paces behind them.  
  
"Thank you, for this I mean" Jessie started after a few minutes "Police stations give me the creeps"  
  
"I can imagine" Grissom said softly "We ran your prints Jessie. We know who you are, you're real name is Jessie Crawford isn't it?"  
  
She nodded slightly and looked at Warrick "I guess it was stupid of me not to tell you earlier, I only gave you a lot of extra work"  
  
"That's ok" Warrick smiled at her in return, trying to reassure her " We're used to it" She smiled back and continued walking  
  
"Jessie, did Billy know who you were?" Grissom asked  
  
"No, I never told him. I told him I was from Louisiana and that I was an only child. I told him I wasn't in touch with my parents anymore, but I never told him the truth. He was really a nice guy, I wasn't lying about that, but I never told anyone. No one in Vegas knows who I am, not even Billy"  
  
"Jessie, the name Parker and your social security number, where did you get them?" Warrick asked her  
  
"My mother' best friend, I'm her name sake. After." Her voice broke for a minute but she inhaled and continued "After my family was murdered, everything was so crazy, and even after that everyone kept looking at me funny" she lifted her eyes and glanced at the two men beside her "kind of like the way the two of you are looking at me right now"  
  
"and how is that?" Warrick asked with half a smile  
  
"Like you feel sorry for me. Like I'm about to fall apart every second, like you need to watch my every move. I just needed to get away, start over. I left Texas after two years, my mother's friend said I could use her name and social security number so I could start fresh, start over."  
  
Suddenly Grissom's phone rang and Grissom excused himself for a minute  
  
** Smash cut CSI crime lab  
  
Nick came into the room and watched Catherine as she worked  
  
"you found anything?" she asked, not lifting her eyes off the computer  
  
"I got 4 people who were at Billy Meadows apartment at the last week"  
  
"And?" Catherine lifted her head and watched Nick's face, the look on his face made her smirk "Don't you hate the way he's right all the time" She teased but Nick just smiled and shook his head  
  
"I better call him and tell him"  
  
And with that he left the room  
  
** Out side the police station  
  
Warrick and Jessie continued walking together in silence for a minute before Warrick broke it with another question "Jessie, we still need to know what made you try to skip town. What happened?"  
  
"It was the picture wasn't it Jessie?" Grissom's voice came behind them as he joined them again.  
  
Jessie nodded again, the frightened look came over her eyes again and Warrick felt a sudden urge to put his arm around her, to protect her in some way.  
  
She nodded slowly "I'm not sure but I think I recognized the picture, from my house, from 8 years ago"  
  
"Grissom man how did you know?" Warrick asked him, puzzled  
  
"I asked Nick to find anyone who's been in Meadow's bedroom lately, nobody remembers there ever being a picture of a girl there" Grissom replied and then turned to Jessie "Jessie, I'm gonna need you to help us, I need you to go with Warrick to Billy's apartment and see if you recognize anything we need to know if the killer brought anything else with him"  
  
He searched her eyes for a reply and then glanced at Warrick who gave him a nod of acknowledgment, then he turned away and left them.  
  
** Smash cut to CSI crime lab  
  
Grissom entered the floor and stormed down the hall, Nick joined him matching his quick pace.  
  
"So it's true? This guy kills her whole family and then finds her again and kills her ex?"  
  
"Yes, looks like it" Grissom answered as they walked into the room where Catherine and Sarah were already waiting "Ok, listen up. Lets go over what we know." He took out a pen and drew one of the glass boards closer as everyone took their seats  
  
"8 years ago the Crawford family was killed in their sleep. All except for the oldest daughter - Jessie. The killer is never found, two years later Jessie moves to Vegas. 6 years after that her ex boyfriend ends up dead in an ally. The boyfriend's killer puts a picture of Jessie in the bedroom taken from the Crawford's house 8 years ago."  
  
"I found something else" Catherine added as she got up from her seat and took the pen from Grissom "I did a little research and found out that 2 month before the family was killed they started receiving weird mail. Love letters, black flowers, even a dead bird. The police looked into it but decided it was some high school kid prank. The letters were all addressed to Jessie"  
  
"So we found the common link" Grissom stated somberly "the thing our killer is after - Jessie" 


	5. Visiting the dead

Smash cut to Billy Meadows apartment  
  
Warrick and Jessie stood silently outside the apartment "You know you don't have to do this" Warrick said quietly "We can do this from picture"  
  
"No I'm fine" She smiled trying to put on a brave face and again Warrick found himself admiring her courage "you'll be with me right?"  
  
"All the way" he assured her as he reached for the doorknob. He froze when he felt her hand grab his, the touch sent shivers down his spine and he looked back at her in surprise.  
  
"I'm sorry, got a little nervous" she apologized and quickly let go.  
  
"No it's ok" he said and reached back for her hand, holding it tightly.  
  
He opened the door and they were immediately hit by the smell of dried blood "try breathing through your nose" he told Jessie who turned visibly pale.  
  
They walked into the apartment and stood in the middle of the room and Jessie stared at the large blood stain ""Is this where Billy was killed?" her voice was only slightly above a whisper  
  
"don't worry about that" Warrick squeezed her hand reassuringly "Just look around and tell me if you recognize anything"  
  
** smash cut to the CSI lab  
  
"Ok guys we need to start from scratch. This is a whole new case now. We're not trying to find a killer anymore, we're trying to protect a very living person" Grissom said, pulling a new glass board  
  
"yeah, a live person who's seen way to much death for her short life" Catherine stated, her maternal instincts kicking in.  
  
"I want us to go over anything they have from the Crawford house. We go back to square one" he took out Jessie's picture from his file and glued it to the glass board "I want everything we have her on the board and I want it fast"  
  
"What's the rush?" Sarah asked from her place at the table "I mean the guy waited for 8 years before he struck again, what makes you think he's gonna make another move so soon?"  
  
"two reasons Sarah: One, he struck again after 8 years, which means something sprung him into action again and I wanna know what Second reason: he's in Vegas"  
  
"how do you know that?" Catherine asked  
  
"Because she's here" Grissom replied indicating Jessie's picture "and where ever she is, he's gonna be close by. Catherine you're with me, we're going to go over the Crawford case. Nick you and Sarah go over the Meadows case, find anything you can about it, anything that might help us out"  
  
They all nodded and got up to leave the room in their different directions. Grissom and Catherine walked over to the other room where Catherine had already started working  
  
"So what have you got so far?"  
  
"Well" Catherine started "I got all the files and reports from the Texas police, the evidence is being shipped over, it's gonna be here tomorrow. So far we know this - the father was the first to be killed. He was downstairs in the study, working late. 7 stab wounds to the chest, according to the forensic report he put up quite a fight. Defensive wounds all over the place. The mother was next, she was in bed in the bedroom, her throat was sliced. Next were the kids first the boy then the girl."  
  
Right then one of the technicians walked into the room and handed Catherine a fax  
  
"I asked them to send me the floor plan of the Crawford home" She explained as she hung the page on a board. Grissom moved closer took a closer look at the floor plan  
  
"he had to pass Jessica's room in order to get to the other kids" He noted  
  
"Well that fits with the theory that he wasn't trying to kill her" she replied  
  
"He's a stalker, he has a thing for the girl. Love, hate whatever it is. He's ten inches away from her and he never snuck in to say hello?"  
  
"You think he was in her room while she was sleeping?" She saw the look come across Grissom's face, the look that said that he might have just found the clue that would solve the whole case "I'll check if there was something found in her room" 


	6. the grunt work

Disclaimer: I don't own them, I don't know who owns them (but I bet he's rich) and I don't have any money so don't sue me!  
  
thank you to everyone who's been reviewing this! I got some great responses and I love all of you guys. I know this chapter is a bit slow but this thing is just poring out of me, I have no control over it what so ever!  
  
Anyway keep sending me your ideas and opinions - I'm a weak weak person and I need encouragement to keep me going or else I just get discouraged and stop writing! You are here by warned!!! (just kidding)  
  
____________________________________________________________________________  
  
Samsh cut to another room at the CSI lab  
  
"Hey" Nick leaned over Sarah's shoulder, for a second she could even smell the light scent of soap that came of him. None of them wore cologne anymore. It interfered with the job, and Sarah learned to distinguish everyone by the scent of soap that they used "Did you get anything off that dirt?"  
  
Sarah sighed in frustration "I've narrowed it down to about a third of the state if that helps you any." She leaned back in her chair as Nick took the seat in front of her. "what have you got?"  
  
"Fibers from the victim's clothes" He handed her a file "there were fibers from the car which proves the killer drove him there in the victims car"  
  
"we already knew that from the blood on the car seat" Sarah interrupted him  
  
"Yes" Nick smirked back at her "but there was another set of fibers, it's some kind of polyester, the cheap kind"  
  
"So we know our killer isn't much of a clothe person" Sarah said thoughtfully and nick had to suppress a smile. He could almost hear the wheels in her head turning as she thought.  
  
"I'll get it to Grissom and run it in the computer" He reached for the file and turned back to leave "maybe we'll get lucky and find something out" he was almost at the door when he turned back to face her "Hey Sarah? How long since you had some sleep?"  
  
Sarah stretched and looked at her watch "I don't even remember, I was thinking I'll head home. Get a shower maybe a couple of hours of sleep"  
  
"you want a ride?"  
  
**  
  
Smash cut to Billy Meadows apartment  
  
"Is there anything here that looks familiar?" Warrick asked Jessie as they walked around the apartment "Don't touch anything just point it out and let me handle it"  
  
He watched as Jessie carefully walked the length of the living room and then moved into the bedroom, he stayed with her the whole time. "I don't see anything " she finally said "but there is something missing, it's a gift I gave Billy a while back. it was a lava lamp, it was standing right here" she pointed at the far corner of the room  
  
Warrick simply nodded but inside his mind was racing how could this guy know what gift she gave him for his birthday? How long has this guy been watching her?"  
  
They left the apartment together and drove silently, Warrick was still deep in his thoughts when he heard Jessie suddenly speak quietly, almost to herself "It's really him isn't it? The same guy who killed my family? It really is all about me."  
  
Warrick swerved and hit the brakes stopping at the side if the road "No, it's not! It has nothing to do with you Jessie." He turned to her, speaking with conviction "Guys like this, they're obsessed with something that isn't there. He doesn't want you, he wants an idea of something that only exists inside his sick and twisted mind. You had nothing to so with this!"  
  
She nodded slowly, but something told Warrick that she didn't believe him and that in her heart she might never will. He sighed and shifted the car back into gear. He checked his watch 10 hours, 10 hours since we found Billy Meadows in the ally they drove the rest of the way in complete silence.  
  
**  
  
Smash cut to the lab  
  
"She was right" Catherine said from the doorway and Grissom lifted his head from his work and turned to her "The picture from Meadows apartment. It's from the Crawford house"  
  
She threw some pictures on his desk, they were from the Crawford taken at a party of some sorts, in the back, over Senator Crawford's shoulder Grissom could clearly see the all too familiar picture.  
  
Before he could answer an unknown man appeared behind Catherine "Hello, I'm looking for Gill Grissom?"  
  
"That's me, how can I help you?" He got up and greeted the man  
  
"Actually I've come here to see if I can help you." The man started "My name is Michael, Michael Finley, I'm a detective for the Dallas police. You requested the Crawford file"  
  
"We didn't expect to have it hand delivered" Catherine said as she took the files from his hands  
  
"Well Ma'am, I worked the original case 8 years ago, we all knew Senator Crawford he was a good man, it killed us not being able to find his killer, when I heard you were looking into the case I thought I might be able to help, seeing as I was there and all."  
  
As she listened to him explaining, his southern accent made Catherine a little home sick, she smiled at him warmly "Thank you very much detective, we sure could use someone who was there at the time."  
  
"there isn't much of evidence to go on" He explained "no fingerprints, no blood other than the victims, the killer entered from the back door, we found a shoe print in the garden, regular variety sneakers, the kind every second kid has. There wasn't much to go on"  
  
"What about the letters? The ones that were received before the family was murdered?" Grissom asked  
  
"Well I brought them with me, they're in the file. We found nothing on them, no trace of the paper or the ink, the roses were bought with a stolen credit card. It was a dead end, the writing was kind of childish, like kids love songs you know? Roses are red violets are blue that sort of thing. The detectives who handled the complaint simply assumed it was a schoolboy with a crush"  
  
Catherine carefully examined the letter that was in a plastic inside the file. ROSES ARE RED / VIOLETS ARE BLUE / YOU ARE MINE / AND I AM ALWAYS WATCHING YOU!   
  
She turned the page to another letter that said YOURE TEARS ARE THE BLOOD RUNNING IN MY VAINS / YOU WILL ALWAYS BE MINE, UNTILL THE END   
  
"creepy" Catherine muttered and then turned to Grissom "I'll take these to the lab, see if we can get something out of them, and I'll call the handwriting annalist, he might be able to tell us something about this guy"  
  
"Yeah" Grissom nodded "and call Nick and Sarah back here, we have a lot of work to do" 


	7. Revelations

Hey Everyone! Sorry it took so long to update - I just got caught up in other things.SORRY  
  
Anyway.  
  
As always - I don't own them - they're just on loan  
  
And keep on sending me reviews - I'm greedy and I need my feedback!  
  
*******  
  
Sarah and nick drove back to work in silence. They had just arrived at Sarah's apartment when the call from Catherine came, she grabbed a quick shower and they were immediately on their way back to the lab.  
  
"I'm sorry you didn't have time to swing by your place" Sarah smiled at him from the passenger seat, shaking him out of his thoughts.  
  
"It's ok, girls dig the smell of a sweaty man anyway" he gave her a lopsided grin  
  
"Oh yeah? Who told you that?" She laughed  
  
"Nah, I'm kidding. I have a fresh shirt in my locker at the lab. I'll change there"  
  
"Yeah well, you'd better cause that whole 'girls love sweat thing'!? a total myth"  
  
"Oh really?" he laughed  
  
"yeah, it's just one of those thing we say to make men feel better about themselves - you know, like size doesn't count!?"  
  
"Ok, that hurt!" he replied in mock hurt and the both started laughing.  
  
It felt good to laugh like this, to know that they could still find things to laugh at even after all the horrible things that they saw daily in their line of work. Sarah found herself admiring that about her teammate, his ability to make people smile even at the most dire circumstances.  
  
They both turned visibly more somber as they pulled into the CSI parking lot. Getting their game face on as Nick described it. It was time to go to work and find some bad guys - jokes could wait for later.  
  
***  
  
SMASH CUT - JESSE'S APARTMENT  
  
Warrick went inside to check the apartment while Jessie waited out in the hall - just to be safe. When he was sure the place was empty he allowed her in and watched from the door way as she dropped her jacket on the couch, rubbing her shoulders tiredly.  
  
"The cops should be here soon, they'll be outside your door the whole time so you'll be safe here" he told here, even though she was there when they told them about the police protection and already knew that.  
  
"You could come in you know. You don't have to stay in the doorway like some watch dog" she smiled at him and he chuckled, stepping into the apartment and closing the door behind him.  
  
"Would you like some coffee or something?" she made her way to the kitchen "I could cook something if you'd like"  
  
"Nah, I'm fine thanks. You should probably get some sleep. You've had a long day"  
  
"I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep again" she whispered quietly, a part of her wished he wouldn't even hear it. She hated to sound so pathetic, so helpless. 8 years ago, after her family was killed - she swore to herself that she wouldn't become a victim, that she wouldn't let what happened control her life. At first she had to force herself to get out of bed every morning, force herself to believe that there was still a reason to get up and make it through the day. After a while it got easier, it never went away completely - but she'd be damned to act as if she was dead while still alive.  
  
Warrick saw the look that crossed her face - it was the same look he saw at the police station this morning. The one that made him want to go over and simply hug her. He looked at her intently - she was so beautiful - he simply couldn't resist. He stepped closer and simply put his arms around her, letting her cling to him and wrap her arms around him in return.  
  
He pulled away from her a little - searching in her eyes for a sign that she was ok. Suddenly he became very aware of the fact that they were standing so close to each other. They're face were just inches apart as they stood there - looking into each other's eyes, they're arms still around each other.  
  
Warrick's mind pushed into high gear and he knew he had to brake the moment. Coughing uncomfortably he pulled away from her.  
  
"I better get going" he mumbled, scratching his head  
  
"Yeah" She nodded "it's probably best"  
  
He took one last look at her and went to the door, planning on a quick exit before he could change his mind. He pulled on it, pushed it - and the door would not budge. So much for the quick and classy exit he sighed  
  
Jessie came over, slipping under his arm that was leaning against the frame, and once again he was all too aware of the closeness of her body.  
  
"It locks from the inside" she said quietly, looking at him instead of at the door, as she worked the lock and opened the door "You have to twist it."  
  
She didn't get to finish the sentence as the battle between Warrick's mind and body finally ended and he leaned in - kissing her gently. A moment later he deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth with his tongue, pulling her closer against his body and slamming her against the wall. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer and deeper as his arms started exploring her body.  
  
The last this Warrick remembered before the heat of passion took over him and he could no longer summon a coherent thought was Jessie's leg slamming the front door shut behind them as he carried her over to the bedroom.  
  
***  
  
SMASH CUT - CSI LAB  
  
"So Grego' what have you got for me?" Nick asked as he entered the trace lad, trying to sound as upbeat as humanly possible after 3 hours of sleep in almost 48 hours.  
  
"Would you all get you patience hats back on?" the young technician said in irritation "people coming in here every 10 minutes, wanting to know what I have for them.there's only so much a man can do."  
  
Nick checked Greg suspiciously  
  
".even if he is a super human master genius like me!" Greg finished with a smirk and Nick smiled in return - that was more like the Greg they all knew and loved!  
  
"So? Anything?" Nick insisted  
  
"Actually, yes I do. The substance you found on the fabric is - drum role please - glitter"  
  
"Glitter!?" Nick asked in shock "You mean like that sparkly stuff women wear?"  
  
"Exactly. Only this isn't your everyday kind, this is professional material"  
  
"Professional glitter!? Is there even such a thing?"  
  
"I know" Greg said with a small smile "where has the world come to? Anyway, this is the kind of stuff dancers use, you know it's especially strong so it won't some off when they sweat and stuff"  
  
Still looking over the page of results Greg handed him Nick thanked him absent mindedly and walked out of the trace lad and into the conference room where Grissom and Sarah were huddled over the table.  
  
"Is there any chance our guy might be a girl?" Nick wondered out load  
  
"Not according to the knife wounds on the Crawford kids" Grissom replied "why what have you got there?"  
  
"Traces of glitter on the fabric, the professional kind - what ever that means" nick shrugged  
  
Grissom and Sarah both pondered this latest information she Nick joined them at the table. The three of them sat there for a while going over the evidence in their head until Catherine walked in and Grissom quickly filled her in on their latest finding.  
  
"We're in Vegas" it was Sarah's turn to shrug "a lot of show girls, maybe he just bumped into one of them or something. Could be totally unrelated"  
  
"Polyester and professional glitter, man that brings back the days" Catherine said "if it was just the glitter I'd say it could be unrelated like you said - but that particular combination - maybe the guy is in the industry." She wondered  
  
"Wait a minute" Grissom spoke up "We know the killer needs to be next to Jessie, right?"  
  
"Yeah, he's obsessed. We got that" Nick said tiredly  
  
"Didn't Jessie say she was working at some kind of club?"  
  
"And Vegas clubs usually have dancers" Nick continued the trail of thoughts  
  
"And creepy guys in polyester suits" Catherine volunteered  
  
"I'll check it out" Nick declared quickly and left the lab in a hurry - finally they had a lead! 


	8. Passing the Night

Sorry for the delay - I know it's been a long time and I have no idea if anyone is still interested in this story - so much time has gone by.  
  
But I'm going to finish it anyway! Hope you guys enjoy!!!  
  
As always - reviews, hate male and suggestions will be greatly appreciated!!!  
  
*  
  
Warrick woke up groggily and rolled in the bed, realizing he was all alone in the bed he opened his eyes fuuly and looked around the room. It was still night - he could tell it was still dark outside, and the clock at the bedside table illuminated the hour - 3:30 am  
  
He pulled on a pair of boxers and got up in search of Jessie. When he reached the living room he stopped dead in his tracks. Jessie was curled up on the couch, her back was turned to him and she was not yet aware of his presence. She was watching the TV so intently he wasn't sure she would have been aware of his presence even if he were to sit right by her side.  
  
He watched the screen for a moment and a shiver went down his spine when he realized what she was watching. It was a video - an old family video, a party of some sorts. It showed what he figured was her family having a barbeque in their back yard. Her father was the grill, making faces to the camera and laughing, behind his the kids were playing football and tackling each other to the ground. A younger Jessie was helping her mother set the picnic table.  
  
# the all American family # the thought flashed through his mind.  
  
The scene on the screen changed into another party - this time indoors. People in fancy suits and women in expensive dresses were walking around the house and sipping wine. Jessie's father and mother were in the middle of the shot - hugging and laughing at some private joke.  
  
"You should get some sleep" he heard himself say softly before he managed to stop himself and Jessie turned to - obviously startled.  
  
"Sorry" She apologized "I didn't mean to wake you"  
  
"You didn't" he assured her as he came by to sit next to her on the couch, pulling her closer to him so her head was resting on his chest.  
  
"I couldn't sleep" he could feel, rather then see, her shrug her shoulders "Nightmares"  
  
They sat in silence for a moment, both looking at the screen. The next sentence out of his mouth took her completely by surprise "Tell me about them"  
  
She lifted her eyes to look at him, searching his face for a sign that he was joking - or merely trying to humor her. Instead all she found was caring and real human interest. She reached up and kissed the bottom of his jaw softly then settled back with her head on his chest, cuddling closer to his body.  
  
"My mom was great, she used to be a lawyer and she was really smart. My brother David was a prankster - he used to get us all into so much trouble."  
  
*  
  
Nick came into the CSI crime lab at 7 am. The place was nearly deserted but he showed no hesitation as he walked straight towards Grissom's office - knowing his boss would be there even at this early hour of the morning.  
  
Sure enough Grissom was already at his desk - going over the boxes of files from the Dallas police regarding the Crawford case. What he didn't expect was to see Catherine lying on the couch - sound asleep. He drew Grissom's attention and the two of them stepped into the hall and started making their way into the break room.  
  
"I went by the bar last night" Nick started filling him in as soon as they were both cradling a cup of coffee "There were a lot of guys in polyester suits and a lot of girls with glitter, but most of them checked out"  
  
"Most of them?" Grissom's interest was peaked  
  
"Yeah, there are three that weren't there yesterday" He opened a small notebook "two males, one female - owner said all three were pretty close to Jessie, one of the guys was even seen having some sort of argument with Meadows a couple of nights ago"  
  
"Any of them start to work there shortly after Jessie?" Grissom asked  
  
"All three of them actually. I'll keep checking and I'll get back to you"  
  
Just then Catherine appeared in the doorway, rubbing her eyes tiredly "how long was I out?"  
  
"Just a couple of hours" Grissom smiled at her and handed her a fresh cup of coffee. She took a sip, made a face and threw the glass into the trash can  
  
"I'm gonna go home, grab a shower send my daughter off to school. I'll be back in an hour"  
  
She vanished out of sight and Nick heard her greet Sarah on her way done the hall. A moment later Sarah appeared in the doorway - the usual broad smile on her face.  
  
"Ok people" Grissom nodded at her in way of a greeting " It's a brand new day, let's get to work"  
  
"Hey" Sarah called out as they were all leaving the room "has anyone seen Warrick?"  
  
*  
  
"Ok, this is an analysis of the letters Jessie Crawfors received from her stalked" Sarah started explaining to her captive audience - Nick.  
  
"There's nothing in these letters - the Dallas police went all over those" Nick shook his head.  
  
"Yeah, but that was 8 years ago, we've gotten a lot smarter since then" Sarah smile broadly and Nick found her smile to be infectious "First of all the DNA I picked up from the saliva on the stamp - it's going to be hard to get something off it thought, it's pretty old. I ran the paper again - it was a dead end, the ink and the writing are a whole different matter thought. It's a fountain pen, pretty unique, very high class."  
  
"So it's a rich people's pen" nick summarized  
  
"Well, a Senator's daughter, private school probably, the people around her must have been rich too. If we assume her stalked was a school boy or someone close to her then it sure fits the bill"  
  
"I guess so" Nick nodded, his mind racing a few steps ahead "You know maybe I should go over some of Jessie's old high school year books, see if anyone pops up"  
  
Brass's head popped into the doorway and smiled at them "Hey Nick, I got one of your men in the interrogation room a guy named Lu Jefferson"  
  
"Yeah" Nick nodded as he got up and then smiled back at Sarah "Duty calls!" 


	9. Have a Nice Summer

Catherine leaned her forehead against the lab table and sighed - they had nothing! A hair form someone who had dandruffs, some dirt from the tires of the victim's car, some polyester and some glitter. A none of it lead anywhere.  
  
"You've come to a dead end?" A southern voice came from the doorway and she lifted her head to find Michael Finley - the detective from Dallas - standing there, looking at her with a smile  
  
"Some thing like that" Catherine smiled back and gestured for him to come in "I could actually use your help here."  
  
"Anything I can do.."  
  
"Well, we're trying to find evidence that the killer might have been in Jessie's room - left her a message of some sort, but the report is pretty lacking when it comes to Jessie's room"  
  
"Well it was the only room where no crime has been committed" Finley frowned "I'm afraid we didn't put much emphasis on it"  
  
"But you did check it didn't you?" Catherine watched as he nodded his head and sighed again "Well then I need you to tell me anything you remember, you were there that night, you must have had some notes or something"  
  
"Well let's have a look then."  
  
The two of them spent the next hour going over all the photos as well as all the notes and reports that referred to Jessie's bedroom from that night. Catherine was about to call it quits - there wasn't enough information, not enough pictures, not enough details in the reports.  
  
"Wait a minute" Finley's head suddenly shot up and he started going through the photos in a frenzy "I can't believe I forgot it."  
  
"Forgot what?"  
  
"there was something.. A doll. It wasn't in Jessie's room.we've been looking at it all wrong"  
  
"A doll?"  
  
"Yes! It isn't in any of the photos! It was right there! Right."  
  
"What? What is it?" Catherine asked when he paused, his eyes wide.  
  
"There was a doll, without a head.we took it into evidence but we didn't thin it had anything to do with the case. But it wasn't in Jessie's room! It was in the bathroom - right in front of the cupboard where Jessie had been hiding all night!"  
  
*  
  
"So you're saying you didn't like Billy Meadows that much?" Nick questioned the guy who was seated in front of him. He was tall and muscular, he wore a t-shirt with the logo of the bar where both he and Jessie were working as bartenders. The only problem was that there was no way he was their killer - the hair couldn't have come from him - this guy had a buzz cut!  
  
"He was ok, a little bit of a party boy." the guy shrugged  
  
"Really? How?"  
  
"He loved to party, he didn't much care who he was partying with if you know what I mean."  
  
"So you're saying he was sleeping around? Did Jessie know about that?"  
  
"It was pretty much common knowledge. I think she knew about it - pretty much everyone did."  
  
"One more question Mr. Jefferson do you happen to have any items of clothing from Grey polyester?"  
  
The guy chuckled and Nick frowned at him "What's so funny?"  
  
"We all do! We have a seventies night at the club every few weeks - we all wear special uniforms for that night - made out of this really icky gray polyester."  
  
*  
  
"Hey Catherine" Warrick greeted as he walked into the lab "what's going on?"  
  
"Where have you been all day?" She smiled at him  
  
"Umm, I was up pretty late last night, watching over Jessie Crawford, I had problems getting up.." He tried to avoid her eyes as he lied to her.  
  
She studied his closely, something just didn't seem right. They have been working together for a long time now and she never remembered Warrick sleeping in - except for when he had the gambling problem. She could tell he was hiding something from her - but then again she knew better then to ask.  
  
"So what are you working on?" Warrick steered the conversation back to work  
  
"We think that it wasn't that the killer couldn't find Jessie that night - we think he knew exactly where she was."  
  
"Wasn't she at the cupboard under the sink or something?" Warrick frowned  
  
"Yeah, he left something for her - a headless doll. The original investigators thought it belonged to one of the kids - small children, toys, it's not all out of the realm of possibility" Catherine shrugged  
  
"So what does that give us?"  
  
"Well the doll was tagged and taken into evidence - it was just never checked."  
  
"So it must be in one of these evidence boxes" Warrick said indicating to the pile of boxes that stood in the other side of the room, "Good luck!"  
  
"Hey Warrick!" Nick suddenly appeared in the doorway "Got us some work!"  
  
Warrick smiled at Catherine and left the lab, following Nick down the hall and into another lab where a pile of clothes was sitting in plastic bags on the table.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"That my friend" Nick started with a smile "Are 34 polyester uniforms from the MGM club, and we get to check all of them to see if they match the fibers we found the Billy Meadows car"  
  
"Let's get to work!"  
  
*  
  
"Hey Grissom! Did you get the information I got from the letters?" Sarah called out when she saw her boss walking down the hall  
  
"Yeah I'm working on it right now" he replied stepping into the lab  
  
"I've got something you might want to see"  
  
"What have you got?"  
  
"Well, I got a little help from the guys down at the geology lab I narrowed down the possible locations the dirt could have come from." she clicked a few keys on the computer and pulled up a map that showed the areas. "I still don't know what that means."  
  
She suddenly saw that Grissom was slightly smiling "But I have a feeling you have something better then that?"  
  
"I just might! I got that analysis you did on the pen and paper and I got the analysis from the hand writing expert and I've asked Jessie Crawford to bring in her high school year book over"  
  
"How is that going to help?"  
  
"What do you do at the end of high school? That involves writing your name and your high school year book?" Grissom's smile was infectious and Sarah smiled widely, realizing what he was talking about  
  
"Have a nice summer!" She mumbled with a smile earning a smirk from Grissom as he left the lab and headed to his office 


	10. Getting into trouble

Hope I haven't been keeping you all too long - please keep sending me your reviews! I love getting them!!!  
  
**  
  
Warrick was on his way to the lab to hassle Greg about his test results when he saw Jessie sitting on the bench in the reception area. For a moment he stopped and looked at her - admiring her from a far. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a pale tank top, her hair was falling loose on her shoulders. He noticed she looked slightly uncomfortable being there - probably the police station still giving her the creeps.  
  
She saw him as he started coming over and got up from her seat, smiling at him.  
  
"Hey" he smiled back "I didn't know you were coming over"  
  
"Yeah, Grissom asked me to come by and bring my high school year book" she shrugged "I don't know what for"  
  
"He probably has some idea..." Warrick smiled.  
  
For a moment they stood there awkwardly until they both started laughing a bit "Look about last night..." Warrick started, not sure of his words.  
  
"Look, I totally understand. You were trying to be nice and things got carried away" she smiled at him, she could feel how uncomfortable he was "You don't have to..."  
  
"No, no.." he cut her off quickly "That's not what I was going to say. Look, Jessie I really like you and I'd like to see you again"  
  
She was shocked for a moment. She certainly didn't expect that. She knew he felt something - she could sense that last night when he held her in his arms, but she didn't think he actually had feelings for her. The truth is she liked him too - from the moment she first saw him, there was something about him that made her feel safe.  
  
"Yeah, I'd like that" she managed to say right before Grissom arrived and interrupted their moment.  
  
"Miss Crawford" he greeted "Thank you for coming. I hope it wasn't much trouble"  
  
"The police officer assigned to me drove me here" she smiled at him "thank you again for arranging that, it really helped me last night" she couldn't help but sneak a peak at Warrick as she said that.  
  
Grissom pretended not to notice the look that passed between the two or the obvious sexual current that was passing between them. "Come with me Miss Crawford" he indicated to his office and started leading the way. As he walked he looked back to confirm his suspicious, and just like he feared - there was Warrick, looking after the girl.  
  
*  
  
"So Greg my man - you got anything for me?" Warrick asked when he finally made it to the lab  
  
"He means for us" Nick corrected him as he came in behind him  
  
"Well I took samples from all the outfits you've given me" Greg started, placing the result sheet next to his chest so they wouldn't be able to see it   
  
"And!?" they both asked impatiently  
  
"We have a match!" Greg announced proudly and handed the sheet, watching in amusement as the two of them wrestled for it for a moment. Warrick finally pulling on his height advantage and lifting the page high above his head - out of Nick's reach.   
  
"Same fabric, same weaving, same density and there's of course the glitter factor" Greg finally finished   
  
Nick quickly checked his list, matching the serial number of the test to the specific suit and owner.   
  
"Ladies and gentlemen we have a winner" Nick finally smirked "Mr. Chad Tucker, a waiter"  
  
*  
  
It took Catherine 4 hours, and 8 boxes to finally find the doll in a plastic evidence bag marked and tagged.  
  
She took it out carefully and started processing it.   
  
First she swabbed the neck of the doll, thinking that maybe the killer might have left something while removing the doll's head. She took a closer look at the neck under the microscope - looking at the tool markings. She reached over for a jar and prepared a cast - taking an imprint of the tool markings on the doll's neck - hoping that maybe they would somehow get a chance to someday compare those markings to a tool.  
  
Next, she started dusting the doll for prints.   
  
She went over the whole plastic surface of the doll and found nothing. Sighing in frustration she suddenly had an idea, she took the brush again, reaching into the inside of the doll through the severed neck and dusting the inside of the doll. She adjusted the light over her head to get a better look and inspected her handy work - there was a clear partial print of the inside of the doll.  
  
*  
  
"Mr. Tucker, is this your outfit?" Nick asked, placing the outfit on the desk in front of the man.   
  
From his place on the other side of the see through glass Warrick took the opportunity to look at the man closely. He was tall and slim, dirty brown hair that fell into his eyes when he leaned forward to look at the outfit, he wore black rimmed glasses that constantly slipped off his nose and his clothes hang on his thin frame as if they were too big on him.  
  
"Yes it is" he finally replied "Why?"  
  
"We found traces of fabric from this suite in Billy Meadows car, do you have any idea how it got there?"  
  
"I don't know" he shook his head "Billy drove me home from the club a few times, maybe that's how"  
  
"He drove you home?" Nick frowned "Were you two friends?"  
  
"Not really. I live close to Jessie, sometimes when he took her home she asked me if I wanted a ride"   
  
"I see." Nick nodded "When was the last time you had a ride with Billy and Jessie?"  
  
"A couple of weeks ago I guess, I don't really remember" the guy shrugged, looking uncomfortably around "Do you think I can I go now?"  
  
"Just a few more questions Mr. Tucker..." Nick took a seat in front of the man and opened the file, indicating that it might take a while longer.  
  
*  
  
"So, Mr. Grissom, tell me again why you needed my high school year book?" Jessie asked as she took the opportunity to look around the office. Grissom noted with some degree of satisfaction that she didn't seem grossed out of freaked by the numerous bugs that laid in the various jars on his shelves.   
  
"Well I was thinking about comparing the hand writing from the letters you received 8 years ago to the writing in your high school year book"  
  
"You think this guy went to high school with me?" She could feel a sudden chill go through her body.  
  
Grissom didn't answer, giving her a sympathetic look instead. A few minutes later she apologized and said goodbye, leaving him to his work. Once she was gone he opened the book and started scanning the different hand written blessings up to the computer. The process took a couple of hours but when he finished the database in the computer held over one hundred writings styles.  
  
He then took out the first letter from the plastic evidence bag and scanned the writing from that one into the computer too.  
  
He pressed a few buttons and watched as the program started running, trying to match writing patterns between the letters and the yearbook.  
  
He knew it was a long shot - but it was a shot worth taking.  
  
"We have a slight problem" Brass appeared at the door  
  
"What?"  
  
"You know the officers I placed on Jessie Crawford's protection? Well I just talked to them and it seems that Warrick Brown brought Miss Crawford home last night"  
  
"I told him to do that" Grissom tried, knowing what Brass was about to say and hoping he wouldn't say it.  
  
"I know, my problem is that officer McKenzie swears that Mr. Brown didn't leave until this morning"  
  
??  
  
(footnote continued) 


	11. Fine Print

"Do you know how much trouble you put us in?"   
  
"You jeopardized the entire case!"  
  
"She's the key witness in a major murder case and you're sleeping with her?"  
  
Brass and Grissom were taking turns yelling at him, their scalding was starting to become repetitive and he somehow lost track of who was yelling what...  
  
When Grissom noticed that it was getting them nowhere he indicated for Brass to leave the room, Warrick followed the detective with his gaze noticing Catherine standing on the other side of the door.  
  
"Warrick, this is by far the stupidest thing you've ever done!" Grissom said quietly, taking a seat in front of Warrick and looking him straight in the eye "Getting involved with a witness in an active case? What were you thinking?"  
  
Warrick didn't reply, just kept looking at his boss stubbornly.  
  
"I hope it was worth it Warrick" Grissom sighed getting up from his chair "because I don't think I can get you out of it this time. You didn't only put your career on the line Warrick, but everything we find in this case is going to be tainted by this. You may have just sent a killer on the loose"  
  
Grissom left and Warrick was left alone, a few seconds later he felt someone taking the seat in front of him again.   
  
"You're in love with her aren't you?" Catherine's soft voice asked him  
  
"How did you know?"   
  
"this morning, when you came in, I couldn't quit figure out what was different about you until it suddenly hit me... you were happy!"  
  
He didn't answer, instead he just lifted his eyes to meet hers. She smiled softly and leaned forward, giving him a gentle kiss on his forehead before getting up and leaving the room, leaving him alone again.  
  
*  
  
"Hey Catherine" Sandy, the technician from the finger prints lab called out to her when hse walked down the hall "I have something for you"  
  
Catherine followed her into the lab and took a seat.  
  
"I took your partial print and analyzed it. It's only a partial and I only have about 6 reference points to go on..."  
  
"It's not enough for a positive ID" Catherine sighed  
  
"Well no, but I tried to eliminate some of the possibilities... the preliminary analysis gave me about 3,000 possible matches, I eliminated anyone who isn't currently residing in Las Vegas, that gave me about 200 results, and then I cross referenced it with the MGM's employee list..."  
  
"Cause we're assuming he needs to be close to her..." Catherine nodded, following Sandy's logic.  
  
"I have 16 possible matches." Sandy finished triumphantly, handing her the results. "It's not definite and it probably wouldn't hold up in court but it's a start..."  
  
"Yeah...It's a start..."  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Mr. Tucker just a few more things..."  
  
"Look, we've been here for hours..." Tucker started to protest  
  
"Just a few more things I promise" Nick apologized even though he didn't feel like it at all  
  
"Can I at least have a glass of water?"  
  
Nick signaled for one of the officers to get his a glass of water and then turned back to his questions "Jessie Parker started working in Vegas 6 month ago, when did you start?"  
  
"About 4 month ago I think, maybe a little longer" Tucker took a sip of water from the glass that was placed in front of him  
  
"Would you mind giving us a DNA sample?"  
  
"Yes I would!" the man suddenly got slightly angry "I know my rights and I don't have to do that! If you want a DNA sample you better get a warrant and you better run it through my lawyer first! Now if you don't mind I'm going to go - I have to get to work!"  
  
With a final glare the guy got up and left the room leaving Nick alone at the table.  
  
*  
  
"Hey Grissom you needed me?" Sarah asked as she got into his office, but before she had the chance to settle in he quickly got up and started heading out towards the audio visual lab.  
  
"Yes I need your help. I have a possible match on the handwriting from the notes and the writing from Jessie Crawford's year book."  
  
"Really?" Sarah asked, getting excited.  
  
Grissom opened the yearbook in the marked page while walking and showed her the writing "Benjamin Walters" she read out loud the name at the bottom of the inscription.  
  
She took the year book from him and flipped through it, trying to find the picture. But when she got to the right page - the picture above the name was blank.  
  
"So we don't even have a picture..." she sighed in frustration  
  
"No but we have a name" Grissom tried to sound hopeful, but he knew why she felt so disappointed - he felt the same way when he realized there was no picture. "Let's try finding out what Benjamin Walters has been up to since finishing high school"  
  
"Where are you going?" she called after him when he started walking away down the hall.  
  
"I'm going to see if Jessie Crawford even remembers this guy"  
  
*  
  
"Hey Catherine?" Nick asked as he walked into her lab "I heard that you have some possible prints?"  
  
"Yeah 16 of them actually" She sighed "why, what have you got?"  
  
"I've got a name - Chad Tucker, is it on your list? He's a Las Vegas hotel employee so his prints should be in the database. If he's on that list there..."  
  
She quickly checked the list and shook her head no. Nick sighed and laid his head on the table, gently banging it against the hard surface "Is it just me or can we just not seem to get a brake in this case?"  
  
"Well, I might just have the brake you were looking for" Greg appeared in the doorway as if out of nowhere "The hair from the car? The DNA is a match for the sample you took from Mr. Tucker"  
  
"You managed to get a DNA sample from him?" Catherine asked, impressed  
  
"He took a drink, I swabbed the saliva from the edge of the cup" nick gave her a mischievous grin but then became somber again "It still doesn't prove anything, Tucker admits to being in the car..."  
  
"He just doesn't admit to killing the guy"   
  
"Who does these days?" Sarah joked as she came into the room "Catherine are you done with the computer? I need to look for a lost high school boy from Dallas!"  
  
Suddenly Catherine sat up as if bitten by a snake "Dallas! I've been going about this all wrong!"  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"I shouldn't be looking for a finger print from Las Vegas! This guy might have not done anything wrong in here. I should look for a fingerprint from Dallas!"  
  
* 


	12. note

Hey Everyone.  
  
I know I haven't updated in like forever and I know some of you might be really pissed at me but things just kept coming up (I have to find a new apartment, my house was totally renovated and I had to sit with the contractors, the Jewish holidays are starting now and my boyfriend spent the last week or so in the hospital) and I really couldn't get to the computer and write the next chapters - even thought they are all already written in my head.  
  
So stay with me for just a little while longer and don't give up on me - I promise that new chapters are going to be posted for all my stories by the end of this week of by the beginning of next week!  
  
I swear!  
  
LOVE Black Raven 


End file.
